Court-Martial of Benedict Arnold

Date: June 1, 1779 • Location: Washington, United States

The court-martial for malfeasance of Benedict Arnold, a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, begins.

A court-martial is a military court, or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment. In addition, courts-martial may be used to try prisoners of war for war crimes. The Geneva Conventions require that POWs who are on trial for war crimes be subject to the same procedures as would be the holding military's own forces. Finally, courts-martial can be convened for other purposes, such as dealing with violations of martial law, and can involve civilian defendants.